Succession planning for Corporate law firms: preparing senior associates for the partner track and covering key relationships
When a senior partner retires or moves, the clients and the know-how go with them unless others have been prepared. Succession planning names the people, the relationships and the steps that make a partner.
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Share your requirementsWhy succession planning matters in corporate law firms
Some firms depend on a few rainmakers. Clients are handled personally, files are in the partner's head and associates seldom meet client heads. When the partner steps back or leaves, work walks out. Associates see no clear route to partner, so strong ones leave for firms that offer one.
Succession planning looks at which relationships and practices matter most, who might take them on and what each person needs. It lays out the partner track in writing, shares client exposure earlier and prepares for scenarios such as a partner leaving suddenly. It also helps the firm decide where to hire laterally.
Clients of corporate firms choose a partner, but they also value the team around them. Introducing associates to client general counsels early, with the partner's endorsement, builds trust that can carry over. Written client notes, covering preferences, history and active matters, help a successor take over without a gap.
How to set it up
1. List key relationships and practices
Note which clients and practice areas depend most on named individuals, and what the exposure would be if one left.
2. Name possible successors
For each, one or two senior associates or partners who could grow into the role, plus the gaps to close.
3. Write the partner track
Describe the skills, client contribution and business development looked for, and how decisions are made. Share it with associates.
4. Share client exposure gradually
Put successors in client calls, ask them to lead small mandates and introduce them to client heads. The succession planning page explains our method.
5. Write client relationship notes
For key clients, keep a short note on people, preferences, history and active matters in a shared place.
6. Plan a transition period
When a partner is due to step back, plan a period of joint handling before the handover, with the client informed.
7. Review once a year
Check who has grown, who has left and whether the plan still fits the firm's direction.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. Use your own records for a defined period and note gaps in the evidence. The review may take longer if records are incomplete or spread across teams.
- List the three clients that would be hardest to keep if their partner left.
- Ask senior associates whether they know what partnership requires.
- Check who attends client calls beyond the partner.
- Note any partner within a few years of stepping back.
- Check whether a client note exists for each of your top clients.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach succession planning in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
No promise is needed. A written description of the track and honest feedback on progress is more useful, and respects that outcomes depend on the firm's needs.
As early as the partner is comfortable, starting with calls and small mandates. Clients take time to trust new faces.
Say so openly, and create other senior roles, such as principal associate or counsel, with a real scope. Hiding the position drives quiet departures.
Link recognition and pay to team building and handover, and agree a plan with the partner. It needs a clear and respectful conversation. Take advice on partnership terms from your adviser.
Yes for roles such as the practice manager, the senior paralegal and the records head. The firm relies on them for day-to-day running.
We set up the interview and hiring process for corporate law firms
Every business interviews, but few have a written process that works the same way for every role and every interviewer. GullyHR designs yours, from the role brief to the offer, trains your managers to run it, and can run it for you on the roles you hand us.